«I, Bogdan Yermoin, am in the territory of Russia and ask you, Vladimir Alexandrovich[Zelensky], to help me return home».
Bogdan Yermokhin, originally from the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, attempted to return to Ukraine in March but was prevented by Russian border guards. He has been instructed to report to a Moscow region draft center next month, following his 18th birthday.
The teenager, orphaned in 2014, had been living with a foster family in Mariupol before Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In 2021, the director of the technical college where he was studying became his legal guardian.
Russia's children's rights commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belova(Accused of ‘Stealing’ 20,000 Children), mentioned that Bogdan was among Ukrainian children "discovered in cellars" by Russian soldiers during their harsh siege on the city.
In 2022, Mariupol was captured by Russian forces after a particularly intense battle in the war, leading to Bogdan's relocation to Russia. The circumstances of his move remain unclear.
Ukraine has accused Russia of engaging in the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children, labeling it a war crime. Kyiv has compiled a list of nearly 20,000 children with confirmed identities who, it alleges, have been forcibly relocated, though Ukraine suspects the actual number may be significantly higher.
Moscow denies these accusations, asserting that the children were moved to Russian territory for their safety. However, in March 2023, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia's children's rights commissioner, and President Vladimir Putin. The ICC claimed that Russia's objective was to "permanently remove these children from their own country."
Bogdan Yermokhin's journey involved being initially transferred to Donetsk a Russian-occupied Ukrainian city and subsequently to a youth summer camp in Moscow. This relocation occurred alongside a group of 30 Ukrainian children, including one boy fostered by the children's rights commissioner herself.
